Twisted Tales #1
Published by Pacific and © Bruce Jones and the respective artists below, November 1982
Title: “Infected”
Synopsis: A sleazy collection agent gets his comeuppance after taking advantage of a poor single mother.
Writer: Bruce Jones
Artist: Richard Corben
Review: Props to writer/editor Bruce Jones for attempting to bring the EC-style horror anthology back to its four-color glory, but this collection of stories falls short. The lead feature offers grotesquely gorgeous art by underground legend Richard Corben, but Jones’ overwritten script doesn’t trust it to share in the storytelling.
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Title: “Out of His Depth”
Synopsis: A beautiful camp counselor, an unattractive handy man and philandering administrator get caught in a triangle of murder and revenge.
Writer: Bruce Jones
Artist: Alfredo Alcala
Review: Again, Bruce Jones’s script dominates the art with a heavy hand, while Alfredo Alcala’s work is a step down.
•••
Title: “A Walk in the Woods”
Synopsis: A young married couple stuck in the woods in Germany find themselves trapped in a tapestry of fairy tale tropes.
Writer: Bruce Jones
Artist: Bret Blevins
Review: This simple story isn’t nearly as clever as it’s trying to be, but the early Bret Blevins art shows promise.
•••
Title: “All Hallows”
Synopsis: A group of high-school friends take to the streets on Halloween, on the hunt for candy – and revenge.
Writer: Bruce Jones
Artist: Tim Conrad
Review: This tale of suburban tragedy and retribution is this issues’s best, featuring a subtle script and nice art.
Grade (for the entire issue): B-
Second opinion: “Baxter paper, Bruce Jones scripts, the very best artists: it promised so much, and delivered so little.” – Kevin McConnell, Amazing Heroes #22, April 1983
Cool factor: Bruce Jones has written some very good comic-book stories …
Not-so-cool factor: … these are not some of them.
Character quotable: “I told you to go… I told you… I told you what I had mister, I told you … .” – Miss Delgado, crabby lady
Editor’s note: This review was written Oct. 24, 2022.
